NOTE TO USERS:
This CD contains the proceedings of the Workshop, all posters produced in the sessions, all the PowerPoint presentations and all the photos.
The material is presented accordingly to the Table of Contents of the Proceedings:
- to access the scientific papers, click on the first line of the titles;
- to access the posters related to the paper, click on the red rectangle at the left of the title; poster - to access the presentations related to the paper, click on the blue rectangle at the right of the title; PPT - To view selected photos, click on the last line of the Table of Contents (SELECTED PHOTOGRAPHS) - To view all the photos of the sessions and the field trip, browse the CD in the folder Photos
To access the Table of contents, CLICK HERE
Table of Contents
Acknowledgements i
Foreword ii
Preface iv
Workshop Summary 1
Conclusions and Recommendations 4
Theme papers and discussion summaries 13
THEME 1 DATA, INFORMATION AND ACCESS 15 Lead
Co-Moderator Co-Moderator
Reporter
Alfonso Rivera Fritz Stauffer Mohamed El Fleet Slavek Vasek
THEME 1 SUMMARY 16
T1-1 Alfonso Rivera
CANADA GROUNDWATER INFORMATION RELATED TO ITS
GOVERNANCE AND MANAGEMENT PPT 21
T1-2 Frans Roelofson
Posters THE NETHERLANDS GROUNDWATER INFORMATION AND KNOWLEDGE,
BRINGING THEM TOGETHER FOR USE AND SHARING PPT 29
T1-3 Steve Ragone
Poster USA PRAGMATIC PATHWAYS TO SUSTAINABILITY-
EMERGING ROLES OF HYDROGEOLOGISTS PPT 31 T1-4 Andrew Herczeg
AUSTRIA ISOTOPES IN GROUNDWATER RESOURCES
MANAGEMENT IN ARID REGIONS: CASE STUDIES- TI- PPT TREE BASIN, AU, HARYANA STATE, IN
39
T1-5 Mohamed El-Fleet
Poster UK GROUNDWATER RESOURCES MANAGEMENT /
SALINITY INTRUSION MODELLING PPT 47
T1-6 Mohamed Al-Sibai
SYRIA USING MATHEMATICAL MODELLING IN
GROUNDWATER MANAGEMENT (CASE STUDIES) PPT 51 T1-7 Ralf Klingbeil
Posters GERMANY WHYMAP - GROUNDWATER RESOURCES OF THE
WORLD; IWRM IN THE ESCWA REGION 53
THEME 2
LINKS BETWEEN GROUNDWATER, LAND USE,
ECOLOGY AND AGRICULTURE 55 Lead
Co-Moderator Co-Moderator
Reporter
Spyros Kouvelis Emilio Custodio Karen Villholth Maria Alegria
THEME 2 SUMMARY 56 T2-1 Spyros Kouvelis
GREECE LINKS BETWEEN LAND, ECOLOGY AND
AGRICULTURE PPT 61 T2-2 Marisol Manzano and
Poster Emilio Custodio SPAIN
THREATS AND IMPACTS TO GROUNDWATER-
DEPENDENT WETLANDS - DOÑANA, SPAIN PPT 63
T2-3 Sergey Myagkov
Poster UZBEKISTAN FRESH DRINKING WATER RESOURCE IN KIZILKUM
DESERT PPT 65 T2-4 Muna Mirghani
SUDAN GROUNDWATER MANAGEMENT PRACTICES IN
DARFUR STATE, SITUATION ANALYSIS PPT 71 T2-5 Joel Ntsatsi
Poster BOTSWANA GROUNDWATER LEVEL DECLINE: SHASHE-WELL
FIELD (SOUTHERN OKAVANGO DELTA), BOTSWANA PPT 79 T2-6 Karen Villholth
SRI LANKA COMPREHENSIVE ASSESSMENT OF OPTIONS AND
CONSEQUENCES FOR AGRICULTURAL PPT GROUNDWATER USE
85
T2-7 Stephen Foster
UK URBAN WASTEWATER AS GROUNDWATER
RECHARGE: MANAGING RISKS AND BENEFITS PPT 97 T2-8 W. Kinzelback, F.
Poster Stauffer et al.
SWITZERLAND
SUSTAINABLE WATER MANAGEMENT: EXAMPLES
FROM SAHARA, XINJIANG (CHINA), OKAVANGO PPT (BOTSWANA) REGIONS
99
T2-9 Salem Latif
PAKISTAN GROUNDWATER SITUATION IN PAKISTAN 107
THEME 3 SOCIETAL INTERFACES AND INSTITUTIONS 115 Lead
Co-Moderator Co-Moderator Rapporteur
Tony Turton Muna Mirghani
Venessa LeMaire-Drinkwater Vincent Uhl
THEME 3 SUMMARY 116 T3-1 Tony Turton
SOUTH AFRICA TRANSBOUNDARY GOVERNANCE AS APPLICABLE
TO IWRM WITH SPECIFIC REFERENCE TO PPT GROUNDWATER SYSTEMS THAT CROSS BORDERS
123
T3-2 Fred Mwango
Poster KENYA GROUNDWATER RESOURCES MANAGEMENT IN ARID
AND SEMI-ARID COUNTRIES - CASE STUDY - PPT BARINGO DISTRICT, KENYA
125
T3-3 Eddy Van Wyk and Solo Masike SOUTH AFRICA
ARID AND SEMI-ARID GROUNDWATER
GOVERNANCE AND MANAGEMENT PPT 127
T3-4 Solo Masike
SOUTH AFRICA CASE STUDY: WELBEDACHT BULK WATER SUPPLY,
SOUTH AFRICA PPT 135 T3-5 Luis Marin and Oscar
Escolero Fuentes MEXICO
GROUNDWATER GOVERNANCE AND MANAGEMENT OR MISMANAGEMENT IN MEXICO ? PPT
145
T3-6 Vincent Uhl
Poster USA AFGHANISTAN - A COUNTRY WIDE OVERVIEW OF
GROUNDWATER RESOURCES AND CHALLENGES PPT 149
T3-7 Lister Kongola
TANZANIA GROUNDWATER RESOURCES MANAGEMENT IN
TANZANIA PPT 157 T3-8 Hussain Iman
SOMALIA WATER SOURCES INFORMATION MANAGEMENT FOR SOMALIA PPT 163 T3-9 John Chabo
NIGERIA MANAGING GROUND WATER IN THE NIGERIAN SAHEL
165 T3-10 Linden Vincent
Poster THE NETHERLANDS WATER RIGHTS AND LOCAL MANAGEMENT OF
SPRINGS AND WELLS IN SEMI-ARID AREAS:
EXPERIENCES FROM YEMEN AND INDIA
173
THEME 4 LEGAL AND REGULATORY ISSUES 181 Lead
Co-Moderator Co-Moderator Rapporteur
Stefano Burchi Linda Nowlan Raya Stephan Fadia Daibes-Murat
THEME 4 SUMMARY 182 T4-1 Stefano Burchi
ITALY LEGAL AND REGULATORY ASPECTS OF INTEGRATED GROUNDWATER MANAGEMENT AT THE NATIONAL PPT LEVEL
187
T4-2 Stephen Foster
UK NON-RENEWABLE GROUNDWATER RESOURCES -
BASIC CONCEPTS & MANAGEMENT APPROACHES PPT 189 T4-3 Eszter Havas-Szilágyi
Poster and Laszlo Kothay HUNGARY
IMPLEMENTING THE WATER FRAMEWORK
DIRECTIVE - PROTECTION OF VULNERABLE PPT GROUNDWATER RESOURCES IN HUNGARY
191
T4-4 Raya Stephan
PALESTINE PPT GROUNDWATER IN INTERNATIONAL LAW 195 T4-5 Ofelia Tujchneider
Poster ARGENTINA ISARM: INTERNATIONAL SHARED AQUIFER
RESOURCES MANAGEMENT - CASE STUDY: PPT 1 AQUIFER SYSTEM YRENDA – TOBA – TARIJEÑO PPT 2
201
T4-6 Tamiru Alemayehu
Poster ETHIOPIA UNCONTROLLED GROUNDWATER EXPLOITATION
FROM VULNERABLE AQUIFER OF ADDIS ABABA, PPT ETHIOPIA
205
T4-7 Fadia Daibes-Murad
Poster PALESTINE A MULTIDISCIPLINARY APPROACH FOR SHARING
TRANSBOUNDARY GROUNDWATER - A CASE STUDY PPT FROM PALESTINE AND ISRAEL
213
T4-8 Maria Alegria
Poster CHILE LEGAL AND GOVERNANCE ASPECTS IN
GROUNDWATER MANAGEMENT IN CHILEAN ASA PPT REGIONS AND SOME CASE STUDIES
217
T4-9 Khaled Abu-Zeid EGYPT
NUBIAN SANDSTONE AQUIFER RESPONSE
UNDER REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT 225
THEME 5 FINANCING AND ECONOMICS 235 Lead
Co-Moderator Co-Moderator Rapporteur
Steven Merrett Ofelia Tujchneider Eddie Van Wyck Linden Vincent
THEME 5 SUMMARY 236 T5-1 Steven Merrett
UK THE ECONOMICS OF GROUNDWATER 241 T5-2 Linda Nowlan
CANADA BURIED TREASURE - GROUNDWATER PERMITTING
AND PRICING IN CANADA PPT 243 T5-3 Amjad Aliewi
Poster PALESTINE SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT OF THE PALESTINIAN
WATER SECTOR UNDER ARID/SEMI-ARID PPT CONDITIONS: AN ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIO-
ECONOMIC APPROACH
253
T5-4 Ahmed Ragab Allam
EGYPT GROUNDWATER AS STRATEGIC WATER RESOURCES AND ITS CONTRIBUTION TO THE EGYPTIAN PPT NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT
261
T5-5 Fareed Salem
USA “WATER SUSTAINABILITY” – A NATIONAL SECURITY ISSUE FOR THE MIDDLE EAST & NORTH AFRICA PPT REGION
271
T5-6 Al-Qaisi Bassam
Poster JORDAN UNDERGROUND DIAPHRAGM CONSTRUCTION IN
WADI AL-YUTUM PPT 279 T5-7 Luis Amore
ECUADOR LEGAL AND REGULATORY ASPECTS OF INTEGRATED GROUNDWATER MANAGEMENT AT THE NATIONAL PPT LEVEL
287
T5-8 Ebrahim Fattahi
IRAN DESIGNING AND ACHIEVEMENTS OF THE FLOODWATER SPREADING SYSTEM IN IRAN
289
THEME 6 PROTECTION vs. REMEDIATION OF
GROUNDWATER 293 Lead
Co-Moderator Co-Moderator Rapporteur
Luis Marin Steven Ragone Callist Tindamugaya Annette Johnson
THEME 6 SUMMARY 294 T6-1 Mohamed Abdulrazzak
et al.
EGYPT
PROSPECTIVE ON THE IMPLICATIONS OF OVER
DEVELOPMENT OF GROUNDWATER RESOURCES IN PPT ARAB COUNTRIES
299
T6-2 Ahmed Al Barwani and Poster Said Al Hattaly
OMAN
GROUNDWATER MANAGEMENT IN THE SULTANATE OF OMAN - A CASE STUDY PPT
307
T6-3 Patrice Jourda
Poster IVORY COAST IDENTIFICATION OF THE SERIOUS THREATS TO THE
WATER SUPPLY AQUIFER OF ABIDJAN AND PPT ASSESSMENT OF IS POLLUTION STATUS:
STRATEGIES OF PROTECTION
315
T6-4 Hannes Buckle
SOUTH AFRICA INTEGRATED WATER RESOURCES MANAGEMENT IN PRACTICE PPT
323 T6-5 Callist Tindimugaya
Poster UGANDA CHALLENGES OF GROUNDWATER RESOURCES
MANAGEMENT IN URBAN AREAS OF UGANDA PPT 325 T6-6 Ofelia Tujchneider
Poster ARGENTINA GROUNDWATER MANAGEMENT AND PROTECTION.
ESPERANZA CITY. ARGENTINA PPT 333 T6-7 Arbia Jendoubi,
Poster Rachida Bouhila et al TUNISIA
HYDROGEOLOGY AND NITRATES CONTAMINATION
OF THE MATER AQUIFER, NORTH TUNISIA PPT 339
T6-8 Daniel Nkhuwa
Poster ZAMBIA THE HISTORICAL DEVELOPMENT OF LUSAKA – A
POSSIBLE CAUSE FOR CURRENT AND FUTURE PPT ENVIRONMENTAL AND PUBLIC HEALTH PROBLEMS
347
LIST OF PARTICIPANTS 357
SELECTED PHOTOGRAPHS 367
INTERNATIONAL WORKSHOP
GROUNDWATER MANAGEMENT & GOVERNANCE IN ARID AND SEMI-ARID COUNTRIES
CAIRO, EGYPT, 4 – 7 April 2005
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
The Workshop Sponsor (WMO), the Host (Egyptian Ministry of Water and Irrigation, Nile Water Sector) and Co-sponsors (IAEA, Islamic Development Bank, UNEP-DEWA, UNEP-ROWA and UNESCO-Cairo Office) would like to gratefully acknowledge the following organizations who actively supported and contributed significantly to the workshop and without whose assistance, it would not have been as successful and beneficial to all participants.
CEDARE, Egypt
ConocoPhillips Company, USA
Duncan and Walter Gordon Foundation, Canada EAWAG, Switzerland
Egyptian Water Partnership, Egypt
European Commission – Somalia Operations, Rural Water Programme Office, Kenya FAO, Food and Agriculture Organization
Federal Institute for Geosciences and Natural Resources (BGR), Germany FROG Tech PT9 LTD: FRom Oil to Groundwater, Australia
Geological Survey of Canada, Natural Resources Canada, Canada Glasgow Caledonia University, Scotland
Guarani Aquifer Project, Uruguay
International Groundwater Resources Assessment Centre (IGRAC), The Netherlands GW-MATE, World Bank, Washington
International Water Management Institute (IWMI), Sri Lanka
Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM.org), Switzerland Johnson Screens, Switzerland
MEDWET/RAMSAR, Greece
Mexican Academy Sciences, Instituto de Geofísica, Univ. Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico National Ground Water Association, USA
Nile Basin Initiative Applied Training Project, Egypt Rand Water, South Africa
REGWA Co, Egypt
SADC Secretariat, Directorate of Infrastructure and Services, Botswana
South African Dept. Water Affairs and Forestry, Water Resource Management, South Africa Swiss Federal Institute of Technology ETH, Switzerland
Uhl, Baron, Rana & Associates, Inc., USA UNESCO IHP – Paris HQ
UNESCO IHP Program – LAC Region, Uruguay
Wageningen University, Centre for Water and Climate, The Netherlands
Management and Governance of Groundwater in Arid and Semi-arid Countries Foreword
Groundwater is a vital source of water on Earth. It provides us with almost a third of all freshwater.
It is threatened, however, by pollution, mismanagement and extreme demands from populations, industry and agriculture. It is a major source of water supply for a large percentage of the world’s population, and in many cases it is the only source. Surprisingly, for a resource that is so widely used and so important to the health and economy of a country, the occurrence of groundwater is not only poorly understood but is also, in fact, the subject of many widespread misconceptions that have hampered the development and conservation of groundwater and have adversely affected the protection of its quality. The increasing danger to groundwater is a matter of concern for the international community.
Groundwater management for sustainable development in the arid and semi-arid zones will be critical in the next century. The need to provide water for an increasing population in areas where surface water is scarce or non-existent will require creative solutions. There is general consensus that many groundwater reserves are being extracted at a rate faster than they are replenished.
Clearly this is unsustainable especially with growing population and associated water demand with the added uncertainty of climate change and climate variability.
Groundwater assessment and management require a wide array of expertise, ranging from collecting data and information to modelling the behaviour of the water table. Isotope hydrology has been at the forefront of contributing to a robust set of techniques to quantify water fluxes and groundwater residence times. However, the knowledge of system behaviour is not sufficient for adopting a rational strategy for sustainable development of the resources. Seeking ways to incorporate sound technical know-how into policies and management strategies will depend on knowing how the system will respond to stress imposed by groundwater use. To do this requires prediction of response times, which necessitates an understanding of the interactions of groundwater systems with other parts of the landscape, such as surface water systems or vegetation that may be dependent on groundwater.
The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) is one of the United Nations agencies responsible for supporting Member countries in ensuring adequate freshwater resources for future generations.
It has since long addressed the themes of groundwater and arid and semi-arid zones within the framework of its Hydrology and Water Resources Programme. To jointly address these two themes in a workshop and to gather experts and scholars from all over the world was just a natural evolution of this course of action. Recognizing the International Atomic Energy Agency’s contribution in advancing the field of isotope hydrology through research, applications, and human resources development, WMO invited IAEA to join other partners in this important workshop, and to share exchange of information, in order to enable Member countries to address the existing problems.
In April 2005, WMO in collaboration with IAEA, the Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation in Egypt and other partners organized a four-day workshop as a highly interactive open exchange and wide-ranging dialogue using directly pertinent aquifer case and country example-based presentations. The main objective of the workshop was to help improve groundwater management in arid and semi-arid countries, thus enhancing the optimal utilization of such a resource. The workshop looked at various international and national contexts with critical synergies developed using a multi-disciplinary perspective of Integrated Water Resources Management.
More than seventy experts from forty-five countries from all WMO regions participated in the workshop. They were experts in issues related to groundwater management in their respective countries dealing with technical, economical, social and legal matters linked to the management of groundwater. The participants represented National Hydrological Services (NHSs) as well as academic institutions and the private sector. The participation of twenty female experts was a
good indication of women’s interest and involvement in this important topic. Such a gathering of experts highlighted the importance of groundwater issues that need to be urgently addressed.
On behalf of the WMO, I would like to express our thanks and appreciation to the Government of the Arab Republic of Egypt, in particular H.E. Dr Mahmoud Abu Zeid, Minister of Water Resources and Irrigation for hosting and supporting the workshop. It is also with great pleasure that I express my gratitude and thanks to our partners, IAEA, UNESCO, UNEP – DEWA, UNEP-ROWA and the Islamic Development Bank for joining WMO in this important activity. WMO also recognizes and appreciates the excellent work by all those who contributed to the successful preparation and organization of this important event and remains committed to work closely with our partners to assist Members states in achieving the Millennium Development Goals and ensuring sustainable use and development of their water resources.
M. Jarraud
Secretary General
PREFACE
Groundwater is a major source of water supply for a large percentage of the world’s population, and in many cases it is the only source. Its almost universal availability makes it a vehicle for equitable development. Surprisingly, for a resource that is so widely used and so important to the health and to the economy of a country, the occurrence of ground water is not only poorly understood but is also, in fact, the subject of many widespread misconceptions that have hampered the development and conservation of groundwater and have adversely affected the protection of its quality.
The use of groundwater compared to surface water in domestic, industrial and agricultural water supply continues to increase in most of the countries. The importance of the use of groundwater is likely to increase significantly in the future. At the same time many risks concerning groundwater pollution are increasing drastically. Concentration of population into major urban centres poses new challenges to groundwater development for drinking water supply where groundwater resources are also vulnerable because it can be depleted through over-exploitation or recharge source reduction. Increased applications of chemical fertilizers and pesticides in agriculture are likely to create non-point contamination sources.
The valuation, rational development and management of any groundwater resources require a thorough knowledge of the subsurface environment and an understanding of the hydrogeological processes that govern the occurrence, movement and yield of groundwater. Understanding the risks imposed on groundwater resources is also essential for assessment of availability of groundwater in the future. Systematic monitoring of the groundwater levels and its quality through regular collection of water samples from wells has been practiced in many countries for quite some time. However, the concept of a groundwater monitoring as an information system for the management of groundwater resources is relatively new.
In order for the society to receive maximum benefit from their groundwater resource, it is essential that everyone, from the rural homeowner to managers of industrial and municipal water supplies to heads of water-regulatory agencies, make their decisions based on information and knowledgeable about the occurrence, development and protection of groundwater.
Building this knowledgebase on the full range of issues involved in the assessment of groundwater systems, especially in view of the availability of groundwater in the future has been one of the goals that led to the organization of the International Workshop on Management and Governance of Groundwater in Arid and Semi-arid Countries, held in Cairo from 3 to 7 April 2005.
I am particularly glad to present this report gathering all the presentation and papers submitted during the workshop, with the hope that they will help meet the needs of all those, from hydrologists to water managers, engaged in the study and development of groundwater supplies.
My government is pleased to have hosted this workshop organized by the World Meteorological Organization and other UN Agencies.
Dr Mahmoud Abu-Zeid
Minister of Water Resources and Irrigation, Egypt
WORKSHOP SUMMARY Objectives:
Improving groundwater governance and management within the context of IWRM principles which essentially reflect sustainable development can lead to reduced poverty, increased socioeconomic benefits and equity in international development and can enhance the utilization and long term reliability of such resources in arid and semi-arid countries. Essential to this is strengthening the capacity of professionals in this field. Four objectives of the workshop were to:
1) Depict representative groundwater management, institutional practices and usage patterns by focusing on Cases and Country Practices in Arid/ Semi-Arid zone settings,
2) Summarize trends/innovations to develop, monitor and protect groundwater resources in National and Transboundary Aquifer/Basin Settings.
3) Consider alternatives/strategies to meet societal demands, reduce risks and enhance awareness for both Non-renewable and Renewable Groundwater Resources
4) Identify steps to sustainability for groundwater resources in country aquifer and practice settings by integrating ecosystem, economic, financing, legal and regulatory, institutional, and social considerations.
To meet these objectives the participants were asked to:
prepare targeted papers, posters and powerpoint presentations as the basis of their examples in approach and to identify gaps and areas of remaining concern,
•
•
•
actively participate in the workshop dialogue , debates and breakout sessions related to the six inter-linked themes, and
provide feedback with respect to their experience in the workshop in terms of key aspects and lessons learned as well as areas that still remained to be solved and more completely addressed.
Workshop Strategy
This was a four-day workshop planned as a highly interactive open exchange and widely-ranging multiple-discipline dialogues which, using directly applicable aquifer case- and country example- based presentations, was designed to build capacity and increase the network of logically-linked institutional and association representatives in Governance and Groundwater Management practices in arid/semi-arid settings.
The workshop was carried out under the guidance of WMO's Hydrology and Water Resources Department within the context of the jointly combined resources, input and direction of expressly pertinent UN Water organizations. There were representatives of and participation from the UN entities that historically have played a major and coordinating role in groundwater development and management including FAO, IAEA, UNEP, UNESCO and WMO. Specifically, it included
participation of five additional groundwater associations and important global institutional entities, each of which have significant input to practices of groundwater including, the International Association of Hydrogeologists (IAH), The National Groundwater Association (NGWA), the International Groundwater Resources Assessment Center (IGRAC), the WHYMAP team (German Federal Institute for Geosciences and Natural Resources) and the World Bank's GWMate program.
Combining the UN agencies input and support with the presence of so many developing country practitioners in groundwater management allowed a most cost-effective and technically encompassing approach to share the expertise and knowledge of a wide number of experts.
A total 77 representatives from 42 nations participated. There were oral, paper and posters presentations from 54 of them. All six continents (Africa, Asia, Australia, Europe, Central and North America and South America) each of which have important regions dependent on groundwater in arid and semiarid settings were represented. There was a strong effort made to address gender balance in the program and at the workshop with the result that about 25 % of those participating in the workshop were women.
Participation from an institutional viewpoint came broadly and diversely from across the private sector, national and sub-national government entities, non-governmental organizations, global professional groundwater associations and civil society elements. Disciplines represented included not just hydrogeology, but experts with backgrounds in agriculture, ecology, economics, geochemistry, health, hydrology, knowledge management and sociology. In addition, the diversity of experience showed that there were benefits in bringing together not only the well-established mechanisms of practice that have been updated as needed, but also identifying new and emerging trends and applications that have shown promise in challenging settings that could be extended to other locations in aquifers where similar issues, particularly in arid and semi arid conditions are important to address and find solutions for.
The event was hosted locally by the Egyptian Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation (MWRI).
The workshop is sponsored by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO-Geneva) and co- sponsored by: International Atomic Energy Agency-Vienna (IAEA), Islamic Development Bank (ISDB), UNEP-HQ Division of Early Warning and Assessment (DEWA-Nairobi), UNEP-Regional Office Western Asia (ROWA-Bahrain) and the UNESCO-Cairo regional office.
Technical Approach within the Workshop
One of the principal planned benefits from the workshop was the published set of proceedings which will include a paper (~8-pages) from all invited participants on behalf of their organizations, a PowerPoint illustrating how the topics and main issue areas would be presented and a poster which on one page summarized the essential elements of the situation. Each of these three Story- Telling 'tools' provided the organization and the authors with mechanisms designed to better communicate. Concretely portraying the setting circumstances in terms of issues and practices that need to be resolved help highlight a wide set of emerging trends and changes in practice in terms of groundwater legislation/regulation.
The six themes cross-cutting themes were allocated one half day each and commonly had eight oral presentations per theme. The discussions and debates held in each theme's plenary were followed up with typically two breakout sessions per theme. The breakouts provided the opportunity to have the further opportunity to discuss the presentation issues and areas of concern within the context of other national and aquifer arid and semi-arid settings in the context of international practices and also from the perspective of sustainable development and Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) principles.
The themes as presented are:
Theme 1 - Data. Information and Access
Theme 2 - Links-Land, Ecosystems and Agriculture Theme 3 - Societal Interfaces and Institutions Theme 4 - Legal and Regulatory Issues
Theme 5 - Economics and Financing Theme 6 - Protection vs. Remediation
CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS Theme 1: Data, Information and Access
Programs of data collection and information dissemination are frequently taken for granted by the groundwater community.
o Data collection and information programs should have specific objectives that are relevant to the needs of water resources management and should demonstrate that they: provide fundament input that is part of an integrated resource management approach, are pertinent to policy and fit within the regulatory framework.
There are different levels of certainty and error associated with groundwater data and its interpretation as information.
o The degree of uncertainty should be better explained in the information that is provided to both policy makers and the public.
The type and use of groundwater data and information can differ according to whether it is for hydrogeologists, decision makers or the public. Communication of such data and information will require different formats. Perspectives will vary according to the stakeholders who participate in or are affected by water resources management decisions.
o Reporting and communication tools and mechanisms should be developed that are targeted to meet various stakeholders’ needs in understanding the potential role of groundwater in the overall water resources management process.
The basic characterization and interpretation of groundwater quantity and quality data and information is a current input to many water management programs. In future, such characterizations are likely going to be considered within the broader context of IWRM.
This will require more assessment of not only social, economic and environmental factors, but how to augment natural water sources that provide supplies including those from groundwater.
o Characterization of the available groundwater resource should remain as a fundamental task of hydrogeologists recognizing that groundwater data and information will become more critical to sustainable development issues.
Even under intensive and uncontrolled groundwater development, impacts and externalities can remain undiscovered for prolonged periods. Case histories well illustrate early warning mechanisms and provide guidance about both over abstraction and pollution avoidance.
However, applying such knowledge has not been easy to do particularly in less developed regions. They rarely have the resources or capacity to consider possible outcomes and instead are only able to react after resource availability becomes overtly and sometimes irreversibly, threatened.
o Sharing knowledge from pertinent cases should be used more effectively in capacity building. Lessons learned should be investigated and where possible adapted to local and regional contexts. In doing so, the likely impacts to groundwater settings can be anticipated. By using such early warning mechanisms, the severity of the impacts can be minimized allowing more sustainability in groundwater resources.
Stakeholder access to groundwater data and information is beneficial to sustainable water resources management. Access to groundwater data and interpreted information can vary by
country according to policy and institutional capability, internal rules and processes and the infrastructure in place for these purposes. Sensitivities about such access exist in some countries and may be contentious in shared groundwater settings.
o Access to collected data and interpreted information on groundwater should be customized to the needs of stakeholders.
o More broadly recommended, however, is that there should be open and public access to existing groundwater data and information.
Theme 2: Links Between Groundwater, Land Use, Ecosystems and Agriculture
There are important links among groundwater, land use, ecosystems and in particular agriculture but they have commonly been overlooked. There has been little close cooperation among the sectors that compete for water and their scientific specialists have not traditionally worked together.
o The development of more integrated water resource management programs should be supported especially in water-short areas where there are frequently pressures to increase agricultural production some of which will stress groundwater-dependant ecosystems.
Land use changes can either augment or reduce recharge to groundwater with corresponding effects on water table conditions. The effect depends on the type of change and the local or regional environmental conditions.
o This knowledge should be applied when making land use planning decisions so that preventative or mitigating measures can be implemented along with the land use change.
o There should be a more close relationship with direct lines of communication between authorities responsible for land use planning and water resources management.
Ecosystems can play a critical role in water resources even in arid and semi arid settings where there may not be extensive surface water bodies. At the same time, groundwater resources can provide lifelines to ecosystems as to sustaining them requires a threshold level of water availability. The science of ecosystems resilience in arid and semi arid settings is still developing. However, examples of groundwater in settings with extensive phreatophytes, wetlands and forests illustrate the dependency of ecosystems on groundwater.
o Programs to better understand relationships between hydrogeologic and ecologic settings in water short areas should be incorporated particularly within development actions.
o Groundwater development and management should take into consideration how to balance its use with maintaining ecosystems at a minimum of their resilience levels.
Groundwater is increasingly being recognized as a critical resource to agriculture especially in decentralized systems where there surface water resources are not available. However, much of the groundwater resource is being developed in an uncontrolled manner as there are few legislative or technical systems in place to regulate its exploitation.
o Additional resource commitments should be devoted to supporting local and regional capacity building, monitoring programs and groundwater resources management plans.
o New legislative and enforcement methods are also needed so that the relatively recent significant economic development from agriculture can be kept at sustainable levels.
Groundwater represents a significant potential resource which can benefit health, livelihoods and local and regional economic development. Specific examples have demonstrated groundwater can also be used as a substitute or a complementary source for surface water.
Artificial recharge and re-use of treated wastewater can considerably extend the water resource by augmenting the natural groundwater source.
o A more beneficial and sustainable water management approach is to integrate all the water cycle components as part of the total available water resources rather than deal with each one of them in isolation. This also means that the potential for augmenting natural sources by artificial recharge and re-use of treated wastewater should be part of an integrated water resources management strategy.
o Future groundwater resources management planning should include the potential for offsets to the volumes needed to satisfy user needs that could result from augmenting the natural sources with artificial recharge and wastewater re-use and in addition by reducing demand with increased water efficiency practices (demand management).
Theme 3: Societal Interfaces and Institutions
Governance varies according to the level and type of democracy in place which influences how well the interaction takes place among the technical, legal and social rules. For example, mature democracies have their rules sorted out whereas fledgling democracies have a chaotic environment which comes from collapsed or newly independent regimes where governance and economic features are less clear. "Other than democratic” systems, some of which work reasonably well, have a different set of governance processes and rules.
For example, theocratic states’ rules are going to have a more dominant government role than that of society or science.
o Institutions, regardless of the democratic setting, need to first have an adequate capacity to collect and assess the data needed for sustainable groundwater development. Second, they have to understand what types of communication are appropriate to use in their setting so that the use and protection of groundwater remains a continuing asset to national and regional economic and social wellbeing.
o Groundwater information should be presented so that the benefits of its protection and use are more closely linked to society’s perception of improved livelihoods.
The concept of a 'Trialogue' considers governance from the perspective of the interactions and interfaces among government, society and science. Governance is usually led by government with society and then science following. In some societies, science can play a higher role equal that of society. Science overall, however, at least from the perspective of groundwater and its management, rarely contributes its scientific knowledge effectively to society or government. Therefore science may not contribute as successfully as it could to governance.
o Scientists from all water disciplines should do more to illustrate how good water resources management practices and increased knowledge about water resources will benefit society and government. They need to increase their effectiveness by telling an understandable and clear story which is directly linked to society’s needs.
o Scientists should take broader responsibility to support the important changes in water resources development and management practices that are needed to achieve sustainable groundwater resource development.
Decentralization is changing the roles and responsibilities of the institutions that are providing essential services such as water and sanitation. In the water sector, this has resulted in the creation of new institutions at local or regional levels such as water user associations, community or watershed committees, and aquifer authorities. Some have also developed in response to specific situations of water shortage or pollution impacts. The role of such institutions in the future management of groundwater resources is likely to grow with partnerships developing among national or subnational hydrologic agencies, NGOs and local public utility operators.
o The responsibilities and roles of decentralized groundwater management authorities should be formalized by legislation and their capacity assured by developing appropriate financing, human resources and infrastructure.
o These institutions should have good knowledge and awareness of the important linkages and benefits that come from integrating social, economic and environmental issues in practical water operations and in groundwater management functions.
Stakeholders participating in groundwater resources development and their management include those from civil society, government and science. Governance aspects are improved when, within these processes, these stakeholder voices are given recognition and validation.
A main issue is which stakeholders have effective voices in various aspects of groundwater management. Those professionals involved in groundwater resources and their management are also stakeholders whose voices in decision making are very often muted.
o Those working across the different water-related disciplines involved with groundwater management should develop a stronger voice as their knowledge can provide important input to decision makers. They should also be working in close partnership with NGOs and any emerging local and regional water authorities.
Institutions that work across the varied water sectors have historically avoided linkages and integrated approaches for a variety of convenience, tradition and self-interests. The same is true for scientific and applied research whose contributions when it comes to inter- disciplinary topics have been more difficult to value. Principles of IWRM and the Ecosystem Approach to water management strive to address these challenges to water management by joining-up both different institutional agencies and scientific disciplines to provide more sustainable practices.
o More government agency actions and scientific discipline research should be integrated when it concerns groundwater protection and its use. This can be done by supporting the principles of IWRM and the Ecosystem Approach.
o A high value should be given to applied multidisciplinary research particularly when globally; key international issues in water resources management have benefited from the results of such research.
Theme 4: Legal And Regulatory Aspects
It is useful to identify and categorize the issues of groundwater law and regulation according to national and transboundary situations. Developing different laws and regulations leads to rules that can be applied to those particular settings. Transboundary settings can create potential conflicts between national laws and regulations and those which apply in international settings.
o Those nations with transboundary groundwaters should exercise care that they first, have established appropriate national laws and regulations for groundwater within the context of their overall national or subnational water resources development and planning policy and second, that the national laws do not limit the potential for successful development and sharing of resources in transboundary settings.
o Rules that apply to the national and transboundary settings should remain flexible enough to deal with future development issues especially considering the levels of uncertainty involved with defining available groundwater resources.
Whether it concerns renewable or non-renewable groundwater sources that are to be shared among nations, it is essential to develop common objectives among the sharing states regarding their joint protection, conservation and use of the groundwater resources.
o The states sharing groundwater should acknowledge the need for cooperation and agree to several important actions including data exchange, joint monitoring and assessment programs.
o As the situation matures in their joint development practices, they should review the issues to determine critical lessons learned and adapt to any modified situations with appropriate revisions to the process or implementation methods.
Laws developed serve as the framework within which regulations are defined and established according to specific conditions. There are important supplemental societal and economic situations which can work along side and in combination with the laws to facilitate sustainable development of shared groundwater resources. This applies in international settings and as well in situations within nations where there is competition for groundwater resources.
o It should be acknowledged at the outset that situations can be complex and that extensive time may be needed to develop integrated laws and effectively implement corresponding regulations which are appropriate to sharing groundwater resources.
o The engagement of the public in the process of legal developments should be encouraged. Although this is a domain in which the public is not used to being consulted, their involvement in the process and its implementation steps strengthens the laws themselves and increases their compliance with the developed regulations.
There are commonly a large number of legal and regulatory instruments which cover the various aspects of permitting and enforcement of water rights, land use planning, protected areas and the disposal of wastes. There can be extensive benefits by integrating areas or
functions that can be administered jointly and comprehensively in combined laws and regulations.
o This integration should be done across the related areas or functions of: quantity and quality; abstraction and use; pollution control and abstraction of groundwater;
management of both land and groundwater; development and environmental issues;
allocation in respect to both efficiency and equity; participation of stakeholders in decision making; and addressing and respecting customary rights and statutory systems.
o There should be coordination of functional and administrative interventions with it clearly specified and built into the rules when different ministries, institutions and authorities are to intervene and interact. This will better define their coordination roles and particular functions.
Information about existing groundwater laws and regulations is an important and significant resource for groundwater management studies in many nations. For example, a recent joint FAO and UNESCO publication (2005) (ftp://ftp.fao.org/docrep/fao/008/y5739e/y5739e00.
pdf) brings together binding and non-binding international law instruments that, in varying degrees and from different angles, deal with groundwater.
o The availability of legal and regulatory resources related to groundwater should be more broadly publicized.
Theme 5: Economics and Financing
Groundwater can provide a solid basis for economic growth in many regions that otherwise could not be developed or sustain livelihoods. There has been a dramatic increase in the last decade of the dependency and use on groundwater for agriculture in arid and semi-arid environments. This dependency is increasing as is competition for groundwater resources.
However, regional shortages of groundwater and mismanagement of the groundwater resources are already leading to reduced economic development and influencing other economic development bases such as agriculture and tourism.
o The long term potential for economic benefits from continued ground water use should be examined in more detail. Taken into specific consideration should be how much current groundwater withdrawals compare to sustainable yields.
Economic instruments can be used to reduce the growing rate of groundwater use. The most direct method is by pricing the use of water itself. Indirect costs, such as power rates can also influence use; a situation most applicable to agriculture and to a lesser extent, industry.
Pricing makes consumers more careful about use which commonly results in less being used. In some farming situations costs will influence crop output. Therefore, direct and indirect pricing will impact demand.
o Pricing groundwater should be considered as a method of achieving more efficient use of groundwater especially in water short areas and in agriculture whose water use practices are acknowledged to be highly inefficient.
Capturing otherwise unexploitable surface water runoff using artificial recharge and developing new storage capacity in aquifers are effective methods that can augment the availability of natural groundwater resources. Examples have demonstrated that there can be technical advantages in terms of quality and quantity as well as economic and environmental
benefits when compared to desalination or surface water reservoirs with their high evaporation rates in arid and semi-arid climates.
o Augmenting groundwater resources with artificial recharge and enhanced aquifer storage capacity should be evaluated in groundwater management planning where there are runoff and aquifer conditions that make their application feasible.
Pollution of groundwater resources remains an endemic situation. One economic instrument that has been successful in reducing groundwater pollution at the source is a fee on wastewater discharge which is levied according to volume and or pollutant level. It can have the further advantages of encouraging water users to re-use their treated wastewaters thereby lowering the actual quantity needed and as well reduces the impact to the receiving environment.
o Discharge fees should be evaluated as a means of reducing water use and pollution particularly in water short regions.
Return of fees charged can provide effective income sources that can be directly used by water agencies. Such mechanisms have effectively improved the capacity of agencies and institutions by providing more laboratories and staff, increasing their ability to monitor and evaluate abstractions and discharges and to develop better enforcement resulted in improved user compliance in groundwater protection and use.
o Reinvestment of the charges collected from water users or polluters should be evaluated as one of the means of strengthening water governance and management.
While experience in water payment schemes from groundwater varies considerably, some water management situations from southern Africa suggests that people are willing to pay for water and most can afford it when there is good quality service delivered at competitive costs.
o Development of user fees as financing mechanisms for proving groundwater supplies for drinking water should be considered in most situations. It becomes a social decision how to support the costs of provisioning water across all societal sectors, particularly for the poor.
Theme 6: Protection versus Remediation
An effective mechanism of increasing or protecting groundwater resources is by reducing the demand on the resource itself. Demand management techniques have shown volumes of pumped water in municipal settings can be reduced by up to 66 percent. This commonly involves reducing undelivered volumes and by educating and providing incentives to consumers to use less water. Reduced consumption will leads to additional benefits as less waste is generated and greater volumes of water are availability for other users and the environment.
o Demand management should be integrated in all water resources management plans and particularly in those in any water short region.
Groundwater pollution can be widespread in aquifers that underlie urban settings. These conditions have developed from uncontrolled growth and the improper disposal of both industrial and municipal wastes.
o Priority should be given to developing pollution prevention programs using vulnerability mapping and modeling of the groundwater systems to identify the areas where waste disposal should not be permitted and where monitoring should be done.
Vulnerability mapping is an effective method of delineating zones which clearly identify areas that should be protected in terms of inappropriate land use, accidental waste release and improper waste disposal.
o Vulnerability maps should be prepared for all settings which rely on groundwater as a water resource.
o These maps should also be made for regions that are routinely being exposed to pesticide or fertilizer use from agricultural practices (Non-point sources of pollution). These settings are frequently in the recharge areas of aquifers that down gradient may be public drinking water sources.
Aquifer models can be useful tools for both scenario building and groundwater resources assessment related to groundwater quantity and quality including developing pollution prevention and monitoring strategies. Models can help understand the combined potential effects of multiple groundwater abstractions, linked surface water sources, discharge volumes and qualities, wastewater re-use locations and waste loadings from point and non- point sources.
o Groundwater models should be routine tools that are used to assist groundwater resources management.
o The intricacy of the model and the resources required for its development and use in management of the resource should vary according to the complexity of subsurface geology and groundwater development in terms of extraction, recharge and potential contamination sources.
Monitoring of groundwater quality conditions is an essential requirement for any groundwater source that is used for potable water supply, public bathing and recreation.
o All groundwater resources used for such purposes are to be equipped with adequate monitoring and analytical programs that document the quality of the water and that can be immediately shut off if unacceptable levels of pollution are detected.
Prevention of groundwater pollution is considerably less costly than remediation. This is a clear economic message based on the past 20 years of aquifer remediation experience. The message has failed to deter practices that cause aquifer pollution in many nations' urban areas. The impacts can devastate the health and livelihoods of local populations and to inhibit economic development. Groundwater- dependant aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems can also be threatened.
o The economic and social benefits associated with protecting groundwater should be more clearly explained to decision makers and the public.
o Practices of improper waste disposal and poor land use planning should be changed so that the causes of the pollution are stopped before groundwater becomes contaminated.
THEME PAPERS AND
DISCUSSION SUMMARIES
THEME 1 DATA, INFORMATION AND ACCESS
Lead Alfonso Rivera Co-Moderator Fritz Stauffer
Co-Moderator Mohamed El Fleet Rapporteur Slavek Vasek
PRESENTER TITLE OF PRESENTATION T1-1 Alfonso Rivera
(Canada) Groundwater information related to its governance and management T1-2 Frans Roelofson
(The Netherlands) Groundwater information and knowledge, bringing them together for use and sharing.
T1-3 Steve Ragone (USA)
Pragmatic pathways to sustainability-emerging roles of hydrogeologists
T1-4 Andrew Herczeg (Austria)
Isotopes in groundwater resources management in arid regions: case studies- Ti-tree Basin, Australia, Haryana State, India
T1-5 Mohamed El-Fleet
(UK) Groundwater resources management / salinity intrusion modelling T1-6
Mohamed Al- Sibai (Syria)
Using mathematical modelling in groundwater management (case studies)
T1-7 Ralf Klingbeil (Germany)
WHYMAP - Groundwater resources of the world;
IWRM in the ESCWA region
SUMMARY OF THEME 1: DATA, INFORMATION AND ACCESS Issues Discussed
A wide range of issues were discussed under Theme 1 session and breakout groups which included:
1. Data (measured values) and information (interpreted data)
2. Standardization of data formats and terminology, institutionalization
3. Information delivery
4. Use of data from the oil sector
5. Emerging Information Management and Information Technology (IM/IT) issues
6. Data and Information sharing 7. Role of data in modeling
8. Importance of the quality of data to decision making processes
9. Importance of knowledge networks 10. Institutional capacity building
Presentations 1
T1-1 - Rivera (Canada, GSC - Canadian Geological Survey) introduced the theme describing issues of groundwater data and information in Canada. He pointed out that in contrast to ample available surface water information there is only scattered such data for groundwater as it has not received the public and political attention required for effective and modern sustainable management. Despite vast surface water volumes, the current 30 % of Canadians that depend on groundwater is growing. With increased exploitation, issues quickly emerging are:
a) Competing demands and users;
b) Pollution;
c) Managing important aquifers extending over political, including international, boundaries;
d) Fragmentation and competitive management strategies;
e) Non-existent and inadequate inventories;
f) Growing water demand from the USA and;
g) Climate change.
Furthermore, it was pointed out that recent E.Coli and TCE contamination has brought into question “abundance mentality” relative to groundwater supplies. On the other hand,
increased public awareness of groundwater issues has spurred efforts to collect basic data and conduct geological mapping to assist management at the national scale.
T1-2 - Roelofson and Vasak (The Netherlands, IGRAC - International Groundwater Resources Assessment Centre) presented the emerging role of IGRAC, a recently (2003) implemented global effort funded by The Netherlands which is running under the joint sponsorship of UNESCO and WMO. The priority issues of IGRAC are:
a) Establishing a web-based Global Groundwater Information System (GGIS);
b) Producing and promoting guidelines and protocols (G&P) for adequate groundwater data acquisition and groundwater monitoring and;
c) Cooperating in global/regional projects/
programs with a significant groundwater component.
Further they illustrated that they are actively working on new guidelines for:
a) Developing and evaluating baseline and groundwater monitoring programs;
b) Assessing exploitability of aquifers or areas and;
__________
c) Quality-assurance methods in data collection.
In less than two years, they have established the Digital Collaborative Environment, which alleviates gaps and strengthens international collaboration in groundwater resources assessment and management methods.
T1-3 - Ragone (USA, NGWA - National Ground Water Association) provided examples of how the traditional water mass balance has been used to understand the effects of large- scale pumping on regional and local groundwater systems. He provided some examples of how socio-economic and technological factors may affect assessing the net availability of groundwater. He identified the way the hydrogeologist must endeavor to support decision makers in long-term planning efforts by providing supportive information in a timely and understandable fashion about:
a) Groundwater systems, their interconnection with other parts of the hydrologic cycle, and the effect of natural and anthropogenic stresses on the cycle;
b) All sources and sinks of water that affect its net availability for use;
c) How cost-effective technologies can be integrated into water-management plans in order to improve water quality, promote water conservation and reuse, and extend limited supplies while, at the same time, maintain hydrologic balance and,
d) Potential water-resources problems and adaptive water-management strategies as appropriate.
T1-4 - Herczeg and Kulkarni (Austria, IAEA - International Atomic Energy Agency) illustrated isotope methods that are applicable particularly to recharge and discharge processes within given river basins. They suggested that the prediction of the environmental impacts of groundwater extraction can only be made from a detailed investigation of the recharge and discharge processes within the basin. They presented two examples. In the Ti-Tree Basin, central Australia, the mean groundwater recharge rate is approximately 2.5 × 106 m3/yr.
The current usage rate is about double the
recharge rate but only about half the recharge water is deemed of good enough quality for use.
Therefore, the limitation to the use of the available fresh water resource will likely be determined by water quality and pumping costs (as water level declines) so that the current extraction exceeding recharge is not likely a long-term issue. In the Haryana state of northern India, the problem is not the over exploitation of the groundwater, but rather land and water salinization as a result of rising water tables caused by excess irrigation and leakage from canals.
T1-5 - El-Fleet (Scotland, Glasgow Caledonia University) presented the long-term behavior of over-abstraction for the coastal aquifer of Tripoli/Libya using two purpose-built groundwater models. The One Layer-2D model suggested salinity behavior in terms of concentration but could not give adequate detail for the fresh water/salinity dynamics. In addition, density effects could not be included.
The Two Layer-2D model examined the dynamics of freshwater/salinity interface behavior including the density ratio and its effects. Analysis of controls on the freshwater/
salinity interface behavior indicated that principle control on long-term saline water intrusion is the net system discharge which is the difference between the total recharge and discharge. The tested scenarios indicated that the long-term over abstraction has caused severe salinity contamination to the Tripoli upper aquifer and that the recovery would take a long time even after such pumping was stopped.
T1-6 - Al-Sibai (Syria, ACSAD - Arab Center for the Studies of Arid Zones and Dry Lands) illustrated how mathematical modeling is being applied in groundwater management through three case studies. For the Lebanese Beka Valley which hosts about 14 % of the nation's population, a flow and transport model addressed potential continuing impacts from point source waste dumps. Modeling the shared (Syria, Turkey) aquifer in the Khabour Basin where there have been decreasing water well levels and springs drying up was able to illustrate scenarios of continued development.
critical to monitor in both the area of decreasing recharge in Turkey and where there are current extraction wells for agricultural use in both countries. The Syrian Zabadani sub-basin aquifer has use conflicts from the competing demands of agriculture, tourism and Damascus City for its drinking water. By incorporating water use, spring discharge, density effects as well as recharge from recycled wastewater, the flow model was able to realistically evaluate current and future development options. He concluded that models are important tools that can help decision makers by providing information on the future responses of alternate groundwater management options.
T1-7 - Klingbiel (Germany, BGR - Federal Institute for Geosciences and Natural Resources) introduced WHYMAP (World-wide HYdrogeological Mapping and Assessment Programme), a global map of groundwater resources released in 2004 that has been compiled from a world-wide program of hydrogeological mapping and assessment. This groundwater focused program, supported by a consortium of partners, cooperates with IGRAC and now also incorporates a web-mapping application. BGR also presented their extensive work, which is being done to support ESCWA in its role to encourage IWRM implementation in the region. The activities include development of various assessment and capacity building actions for IWRM and as well a evaluation survey of the entities involved regionally in water management in terms of critiquing the status, obstacles and challenges for further IWRM applicability and progress related to managing water resources in these arid and semi-arid settings.
Concluding Remarks
Five broad conclusions were developed by the participants on the theme data, information and access:
Data and Information,
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Good rationale for and relevance of data and information, Considerations associated with data and information, Responsibilities for collection and targets for use, and Accessibility to collected data and interpreted information.
1. Data and Information: It is critical to distinguish between data and information. Data are measured values (e.g. field water level measurements or laboratory geochemical analyses).
Information on the other hand is interpreted data (e.g. trends in water levels that are deemed related to pumping or climate change.
2. Relevance: To ensure that data and information obtained and developed are relevant, they need to fulfill three criteria:
a. They are developed with a purpose in mind (and not collected without specific objectives);
b. They have to be part of an integrated groundwater management program or plan; and c. They need to be consistent with the policy and regulatory framework.
With these three elements satisfied, then the data and information generated can be well justified, as they are appropriate in relevance and pertinent in use.
